How to Season White Rice

5 from 2 votes

Cook and season white rice in just 20 minutes! All you'll need is bouillon, garlic, onions, salt, bay leaves and any variety of white rice!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Rice

Cuisine: Cape Verdean

Servings: servings

Calories: 418kcal

Heat the olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bouillon cube and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the onions are fragrant. Use a wooden spoon to break up the bouillon cube.
Add 2 and ½ cups of water and the bay leaves to the pot. Once the water starts to simmer, taste it and add more salt if needed.
Rinse rice thoroughly under cold running water. Drain the rice and add it to the pan (make sure the water is boiling before adding the rice). Stir, cover the pot with a lid and turn the flame down low.
Cook the rice for 20 minutes. Don't lift the lid or mix the rice while it's cooking! For softer rice, add an additional 5 minutes of cooking time.
Turn the flame off and let the rice rest covered for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Tips for making perfect rice:

Always rinse your rice! It's important to rinse off any dirt, debris and extra starch from the rice. Make sure to rinse with cold water and drain just before adding the rice to the pot.
Don't add more water than the recipe tells you. Too much water = mushy rice! Generally, I use 1 and ¼ cups water for every 1 cup rice.
If you're adding beans, you can add slightly more water - no more than ½ a cup though!
Always let your rice rest for 10-15 minutes after cooking. Leave the pot covered to keep the heat in.
Fluff your rice with a fork before serving.
If your rice isn't cooked after 20 minutes, lay a damp paper towel over the rice and cover the pot with a lid. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes more.